Dragon NFX2 2018-2019 Snowboard Goggles Review

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The Dragon PXV may be the new model, but the instantly-recognisable Dragon NFX2 snowboard goggles will always be the brand’s star pair. Beloved by some of the world’s best pros – many of whom have their own signature collab – the NFX2 is bucketloads of proven tech, wrapped up in a classic ‘frameless’ design.

Of course, there is actually a frame, and it’s one with a few tricks up its sleeve – most notable of which is the ‘Swiftlock’ lens-changing system. Two small, plastic levers release the lens on either side when you flick them down. Hey presto, it’s out, and popping the new one in is just a simple reversal of the process.

“Easy to do even with gloves on, SwiftLock is one of the better len-changing systems around”

Easy to do even with gloves on, it’s one of the better systems around. This is the only cylindrical model you’ll find it on, while the Dragon X2 and X2s have it on the spherical side.

Unlike the original NFX, these have a medium fit, so folks with larger brain boxes may want something a bit more spacious. Everyone else will appreciate its compact design, and there’s no short-changing on peripheral vision either.

Thanks to the Lumalens tech, you get excellent visuals with the Dragon NFX2 goggles. The way it manages light is kinder on the eyes, and boosts contrast for a clearer, better view of the mountain. It’s snowboarding in 4K, basically – and while each lens covers a decent spectrum of conditions, changing to another tint is, as we’ve explained, a piece of piss.

“The hard plastic venting panel can take an absolute battering”

Of course, it’s not enough for any pair of goggles to have great performance when you’ve just put them on. They need to be able to go the distance. This is an area where the Dragon NFX2 goggles excel; the hard plastic venting panel can take an absolute battering, and because it runs the whole width of the frame it’s very effective at reducing fogging too.

The lens itself has also been built to last. The coating makes those annoying scratches and scuffs much less likely, and its water-repellant finish means that normal service will soon resume even when you’ve just been slush-slashed.

Despite no major upgrades for 2018/19, the Dragon NFX2 snowboard goggles remain some of the finest frames on the market.

Tester’s Verdict

“I’ve never bought a pair of cylindrical-lensed goggles, and likely never will. I just prefer a spherical lens. However, you’re not doing gear test events right if you don’t step outside your comfort zone, so at The Selection it was time to don a pair of Dragon NFX2 goggles.

Any concerns about the lens feeling a bit ‘close’ were put to the sword fairly quickly. Like all good goggles should, these did the Jedi Mind Trick on me. Before long, I was unaware they were even there.

Same goes for fogging; like a football referee, your goggles don’t want to make the headlines at the end of the day. Coming back to Selection HQ with nothing to report meant that the NFX2 passed with flying colours.

“Like all good goggles should, these did the Jedi Mind Trick on me”

While Dragon is far from alone at the top of the lens-tech tree, Lumalens really is one of the best options out there. Then there’s the Swiftlock system; it’s crazy quick, and easy to do once you’ve tried it a couple of times. This is easily the quickest non-magnetic system, and costs much, much less than those.

So why wouldn’t I get them? Simple: I prefer how spherical goggles look, and Dragon makes plenty of those too (as well as the excellent new toric-shaped Dragon PXV. If you like the style of these, though, and can work with a medium fit, you won’t be disappointed.

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